CANDY MATSON, YUKON 2-8209

Candy Matson was the private eye star of Candy Matson, YUkon 2-8209, an NBC West Coast show which first aired in March 1949 and was created by Monty Masters. He cast his wife, Natalie Parks, in the title role of this sassy, sexy PI. Her understated love interest, Lt. Ray Mallard, was played by Henry Leff while her assistant and best pal, aptly named Rembrandt Watson, was the voice of Jack Thomas.

Every show opened with a ringing telephone and our lady PI answering it with "Candy Matson, YU 2-8209" and then the organ swung into the theme song, "Candy". Each job took Candy from her apartment on Telegraph Hill into some actual location in San Francisco. The writers, overseen by Monty, worked plenty of real Bay Area locations into every plot.

Candy was bright, tough, and fearless. She used her pistol infrequently, but was unintimidated by bad guys, regardless of circumstances. Threats, assaults, and even bullets would usually produce a caustic, but clever, response for this blonde sleuth. She and Mallard were frequently working the same case, but she usually solved it first.

OTR experts generally agree that this show was the finest of all the female PIs. Although the show ran until May 1951, it never attracted a sponsor (although the first season's final episode ended with the announcement that "Candy Matson Is San Francisco's Most Popular Program").

NOTE: Updated Release! Version 1.1 includes date changes plus other miscellaneous changes (16-Mar-2011).

From the Old Time Radio Researcher's Group. See "Note" Section below for more information on the OTRR.

This audio is part of the collection: Old Time Radio
It also belongs to collection: Radio Programs

Artist/Composer: Old Time Radio Researchers Group
Keywords: OTRR; Old Time Radio Researchers Group; Old Time Radio; OTRR Single Episodes; Candy Matson, YUkon 2-8209; Candy Matson, YUkon 28209; Candy Matson; Matson, Candy; Candy Matson, YUkon 28209; Natalie Parks; Parks, Natalie; Detective; Private Investigator; PI; Private Eye; Female Lead; 1940s; 1950s; 1949; 1950; 1951; OTRR Updated Release; OTRR - 2011-03

Creative Commons license: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs

Notes

OLD TIME RADIO RESEARCHERS GROUP

This is a production of the Old Time Radio Researchers Group located at Old Time Radio Researchers Website and the Old Time Radio Researchers Group.

It contains the most complete and accurate version of this series in the best sound possible at the time of creation. An updated version will be issued if more episodes or better sounding ones become available.

If you are interested in preserving old time radio, you may wish to join the Old Time Radio Researchers Group at Yahoo.


This is the Single Episode Page. The Certified Set includes extras not found here. It is located at OTRR Certified Set. This page is provided in case you want to sample the shows.

Note that in many cases, file names have been modified from the original OTRR names to conform to archive.org naming requirements.


Relax, listen, and enjoy!

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OTRR Definitions:

OTRR Certified Accurate -- A series that is Certified Accurate indicates that all the episodes are properly identified and labeled but that the series does not contain all known extant episodes.

OTRR Certified Complete -- A series that is Certified Complete is the highest level of certification available under the OTRR Certified Standards. This certification level implies that all the files in the series are Certified Accurate but also indicates that the series is as complete as possible – it includes all extant episodes.

OTRR Non-Certified -- A collection of shows that has not gone through the OTRR Certification process.

Individual Files

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Reviewer: cappy4 - - April 22, 2012
Subject: Dudley Manlove
Thanks again for this delightful show--I had not known it before and it certainly is well acted and entertaining.

I must add this bit of trivia tho', and I'm not sure if he is on all the shows as I've yet to play them all, but the announcer Dudley Manlove, was the 'alien' captain in Ed Wood's infamously hilariously bad film 'Plan 9 from Outer Space' !!! He was of limited acting ability, tho' a fine announcer and commercial voice...and he is famously and magnificently bad in that '10 worst film' with many of his lines and how he delivered them classics still used today in smart phones and computers---find the wav files and the movie for an enjoyable hoot.

But he had a long successful career and should be honored for that...and is of course fine here as announcer. Just thought some of you might like another reason to listen and enjoy these shows!

Reviewer: thethirdman - - July 6, 2011
Subject: A Rare Kick
This is a great show in plenty of ways, though like many good OTR shows, Candy Matson is more relaxing than exciting. Natalie Masters is especially distinguished. But god, it's EXACTLY like Pat Novak, except a little less sharp and with a female PI. Similar plotting, similar dialogue, the same San Francisco setting. They even redo Jocko Madigan as Rembrandt. The Lieutenant Hellman quasi-sidekick is friendlier -- he's Candy's boyfriend -- but despite the romantic angle he occupies essentially the same role, pursuing Candy as she tries to hide the facts of the case from him. Episodes tend not to have multiple suspects but rather an accumulating body count. Generally Candy will be a woman in peril at the end of the episode and some cops will kill the villain.

Rembrandt is often regarded by those who regard such things as one of the first gay characters on the radio. He's likable, nonthreatening, and effete. In the early episodes he is a total boozer but the writers sobered him up and made him ten times as gay partway through. However, despite the constant use of gay signifiers, Rembrandt is squarely in the tradition of the celibate and nonthreatening. Those mostly interested in the queer aspects will probably tune out quickly.

Reviewer: Jonnie King - - July 5, 2011
Subject: Loving "Candy Matson, Girl Detective" !
Over 4 years ago, catduck quoted one of Candy's famous lines: 'If you like that view, wait 'til I turn around !" And I couldn't agree more !!

Candy, as played by Natalie, is cute, sexy, funny, cool, and probably able to drink any of the guys she pursues - bad or good - under the table !

I fell in love with the Series AND Candy almost 4 Decades ago when I used two of her programs on my syndicated OTR show "The Breakfast Serial": :The Fortune Teller" & "The Egyptian Amulet". To this day my opinion has never changed..."Candy Matson" is one of that small group of almost-independently produced Golden Age Radio Shows that many have NEVER EVEN HEARD OF, BUT SHOULD !

SPECIAL NOTE: A few years ago I was watching one of the early "Dragnet" TV Shows and had just taken my eyes off of the screen for a second when I heard a familiar voice coming out of my speakers. It was a woman talking to Joe Friday, she was a suspect in the case, and once she spoke her next line I IMMEDIATELY recognized the "voice" of "Candy Matson" !

It was Natalie Masters on the screen, and although the voice was still extremely appealing, she didn't quite look like Candy did. Nevertheless, it was just GREAT to see the "woman behind the voice" of one of Radiodoms only female detectives: "Candy Matson, Private Eye" !

Listen to these and enjoy a trip to the Golden Age Of Radio when, though it was on its downward spin due to TV,it still had some life left in it during this very cool Series' short but important run.

Reviewer: Donald Motley - - June 24, 2011
Subject: Classic tough-babe PI soap
The organ music says "soap opera". The tantalizing descriptions of Candy's looks, clothes, jewelry, and apartment say "home-alone housewife's fantasy". (That's my guess, anyway.) Soap operas are not exactly my passion ... and yet I'm enjoying Candy Matson more with each episode. The dialog, though it seems a bit drawn-out at moments and is not always completely convincing, is still pretty good in its emulation of the classic hard-boiled detectives. The actors, even when they don't quite hit the mark, have enough charm to make it a campy entertainment. And now, six decades on, the post-war Bay Area locations are something special.

Reviewer: Anatoon - - December 7, 2010
Subject: Excellent Show!
I enjoyed this show a lot. It's light hearted and funny. Well worth a listen. It's too bad more episodes didn't survive.
I recommend!

Reviewer: porterville - - February 9, 2010
Subject: Candy Matson Is Great
I have listened to all of the "Candy Matson" radio shows. To listen to a female detective who is on par with the best male radio detecives of the time (late 1940's to very early 1950's) is a real treat. Unfortunately, "Candy Matson" arrived on the radio scene as radio was beginning to rapidly lose its dominance as America's main entertainment, thus having a limited run on radio. Thank you for making these gems available.

Reviewer: siberia57 - - June 4, 2008
Subject: Lots of fun
Yep, it isn't the plot, the dialog is great. I think these shows are lots of fun. If you take your OTR listening REAL seriously, then you'll be passing this and other OTR detective series over. Sometimes the old Boston Blackie, Phil Marlow and Richard Diamond shows got a little beyond belief, but that was half the fun. Now if you want REALLY corny shows in the film noir setting Frank Race takes the cake.

Reviewer: sparkletack - - May 18, 2008
Subject: Best "girl detective" series ever
It ain't the plots, it's the dialogue!

The lightly-hard-boiled scripts of Monty Masters and the huskily cynical vocal delivery of his wife Natalie make this show an unsung treasure.

The team were San Francisco natives, and lovers of that city will delight in the authentic sounds, personalities and locations featured in every episode.

Monty originally wrote the show to feature a male lead, which partly explains why Candy - in an era when the role of the woman in society was strictly to be an adjunct to the male of the species - fought her own fights, solved her own cases, and gave as good as she got.

Well worth a listen ...

Reviewer: SWV - - February 2, 2008
Subject: Worthless
The plots are non-existent, and the humour is downright silly. Don't waste time in downloading this.

Reviewer: catduck - - May 24, 2007
Subject: 'If you like that view, wait 'til I turn around'
Candy Matson vs. Sam Spade or Philip Marlowe....it would be a battle of wits to the very end. And even then, would probably need a 'sudden death' round.